Palace reiterates Bong Go didn’t intervene in frigate deal

MANILA It's very clear that Special Assistant to the President Christopher Bong Go did not intervene in the PHP18-billion Frigate Acquisition Project (FAP) of the Philippine Navy, MalacaAang said Monday.

Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque Jr. made this remark in a Palace briefing after he attended the Senate probe into the frigate deal with several other Cabinet officials.

I know SAP Go as a person of integrity. His main wish is to serve the President and this country. He is absolutely loyal to this President. He is also fearful of this president so he will not try anything, Roque said.

During the hearing, Go said he did not intervene in the warships deal and was merely a victim of irresponsible reporting of both online news outlet Rappler and broadsheet Philippine Daily Inquirer.

Go denied that he meddled with the warships deal and favored Hanwha Thales of South Korea over Tacticos Thales of the Netherlands, noting that it was a done deal during the end of the Aquino administration.

Full force

Roque said all MalacaAang-based Cabinet members voluntarily went to the Senate hearing to show their support and solidarity to the President's top aide.

"Hindi lang (It's not just) solidarity, I guess, it's a manifestation. Our way of communicating that we have nothing to hide," Roque said.

Presidential Communications Operations Office (PCOO) Secretary Martin Andanar said the Cabinet officials are "all for one, one for all" behind Go in revealing the truth regarding the frigate controversy.

Show proof

Roque, meanwhile, urged Senator Antonio Trillanes IV, one of the Duterte administration's fiercest critics, to prove his allegations that it was not Go but Duterte who took an interest in the warships deal.

It may be recalled that Trillanes earlier said he does not believe that Go had anything to do with the frigate deal because he will not do anything without the order of the President himself.

If it is established that he was involved, then it is not because Bong Go had an interest in it, but rather Duterte had an interest in it, Trillanes said.

BAGUIO CITY Gender is not an issue in training cadets at the Philippine Military Academy...

The Philippine News Digest gives the complete insight of every domestic, regional and international news and has been doing it for a long period of time. The website has its readers from all across the world,